Go inside Post Falls schools ... it's a very different story

I read Thursday's "My Turn" column by Larry Spencer with curiosity and concern.

I am unsure why Mr. Spencer is so excited about the Post Falls School levy when he is, in fact, a resident of Hayden, so it does not affect him.

Mostly, however, I am concerned that he has an abundance of "statistics" but wonder when the last time was that he set foot in a school in Post Falls.

As the parent of four school-aged children in the Post Falls School District, I have the experience of being at Mullan Trail Elementary, Post Falls Middle School, and Post Falls High school on a regular basis as a parent, a volunteer, and as an attendee at games and performances at the gyms.

The schools are, truly, at or above capacity, and there is NO performing arts venue in Post Falls other than the gyms. While they are dandy for basketball, they fall far short of being ideal for drama, dance or music performances. They lack stages, dressing rooms and "wings" for entrances and exits.

These facilities are used not only for school programs, but by other groups, including Post Falls Park and Rec, which has an outstanding lineup of educational programs for children including dance and gymnastics. They too need facilities for performances and activities.

Our teachers and administrators do an admirable job of utilizing the facilities that we have now, but as the population of Post Falls continues to grow, we are rapidly outgrowing the existing facilities.

It isn't all about student count at present, but planning for the growth that is continuing steadily. As a Realtor, I see new young families moving into Post Falls at a steady pace, and these children will be coming up to further push the capacities of these facilities.

I am a North Idaho native, and have lived in Kootenai County since 1970 - Post Falls for the past 25 years - and I don't mind paying to upgrade our school facilities. The investment in facilities for education is a GREAT investment in our future.

Some of the buildings in our district (Frederick Post, Mullan Trail, and Post Falls Middle School) have been in service for more than 60 years, and have outlived their anticipated service life. We have been putting band-aids on their functionally obsolescent structures for far too long. We need to upgrade our facilities rather than continue to stick baling wire and chewing gum on these old relics.

To Mr. Spencer: Why don't you spend some of your time volunteering in the schools instead of complaining about situations that do not even concern you.

Diana Witherspoon is a Post Falls resident.